Conference Book of Abstracts - Taita Taveta University College

selection of new plant species, varieties and forms and preserving the indigenous wild speciescan exchange resources to enrich the flora of other regions thereby enriching the regionallycultivated flora with new economically and environmentally important plants through theirmandate in mobilization of genetic resources. Botanic gardens engage in conservational projectson environmental restoration and protection of rare and endangered plants. In our country Kenyathe maintenance of peace especially among the youthful population has gained even moreurgency especially as we approach the forthcoming general elections. Owing to the intrinsicpeaceful nature and a positioning of botanic gardens in the society, they have an important factorof formation of peace traditions in young generation and steady transfer of these traditionsthrough generations. Ethno-botanical knowledge can also be passed along while fosteringinternational understanding through exchange of valuable resources. The worrying trend wheremany youths in several parts of the Kenya while their time away consuming alcoholic beveragesmay be slowed down by providing alternative wholesome entertainment such as that provided bywell functioning botanic gardens. Following the promulgation of the new constitution in Kenyaand the envisaged establishment of county governments, it would be a welcome move for theselocal authorities to establish and support botanic gardens in their areas of jurisdiction. TheNational government should also extend support to these institutions. Financial and otherresources available through international cooperation ventures should also be brought to bear onthe establishment of botanic gardens. A case in point is the proposed Jomo Kenyatta Universityof Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) Botanic Garden and Sino-African BiodiversityResearch Center which will be jointly established by the JKUAT and Wuhan Botanic Garden,Chinese Academy of Sciences with support of the Government of China.ReferencesBarasa, A, The Role of Botanic Gardens in the Dissemination of Ethnobotanical Knowledge in Kenya, NationalMuseums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.ILRI (2006), Biodiversity in Agricultural Productive Systems, Land Use Change Impacts and Dynamics East AfricaWorking Brief 3, Nairobi, Kenya.Ministry of Planning and Vision 2030 (2008), Kenya Vision 2030: A Globally Competitive and Prosperous Kenya,Government Printer, Nairobi, Kenya.United Nations Environment Programme (1992). Convention on Biological Diversity. Nairobi, Kenya.Victor Kuzevanov, Svetlana Sizykh (2006), Botanic Gardens Resources: Tangible and Intangible Aspects of LinkingBiodiversity and Human Well-Being, Hiroshima Peace Science Journal, 28, p.113-134Pitman, N.C.A. and Jorgensen, P.M (2002), “Estimating the size of the world‟s threatened flora”, Sci., 298:989.Tuli, S.M. and Jafari R. K. (2009). The Role of Traditional Management Practices in Enhancing Sustainable Use andConservation of Medicinal Plants in West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania. Tropical Conservation Science Vol. 2(1): 88-105.Williams, C; Davis, K. and Chyne, P (2003), The CBD for Botanists: An Introduction to the Convention ofBiological Diversity (CBD) for People Working with Botanical Collections, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK.Web 2.0 tools: Their Application in education and researchPamela Marinda, Information training and Outreach Centre for Africa. P.O. Box 20617 – 0100 GPO, Nairobi.Email: pamela@itoca.org or ayiera@yahoo.co.ukAccording to the Internet World Statistics, by December 2011, Kenya was ranked fourth inAfrica among countries with the highest internet users (with 10.5 million users). The governmentof Kenya has placed a lot of emphasis on using ICT to improve the livelihoods of Kenyans.